1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to fluid handling lines and their attachment to catheters or other medical devices, more specifically to tube length compensation features that help to stabilize and isolate the catheter or other medical devices.
2. Prior Art
There are many areas in the medical field where a fluid handling tube is attached to a device fastened onto or into the body. Problems arise that are the result of body movements that alter the length of the tubal path, instances where the tube is subjected to sudden hard tugs, and movement of the device itself as a result of skin movement even when fastened down with adhesive tape. In cases where the device is a catheter, whether urinary, IV, or other, the movement caused and the forces exerted may cause damage to the organ or vein as well as actual dislodgement of the catheter
In the case of urinary catheters, which are flexible tubes, usually made of Latex or a Latex blend, that are passed through the urethra and into the bladder. The catheter is retained inside the bladder by means of a balloon, located at the inserted end, which is inflated with sterile water. The diameter of the inflated balloon is greater than the internal diameter of the urethra. The external end of the catheter is attached to a drainage tube which leads to a drainage (or collection) bag. The drainage tube is usually secured to the leg of the patient in order to help control wild swings in the tubing and the resultant effects on the catheter. Care must be taken, when securing the drainage tube to the leg, to ensure a sufficient length of tubing is available to form a loop. If not enough slack tubing is available, the patient risks damaging their bladder if they stretch their leg too far. This configuration, however, creates another problem. The inflated balloon prevents the catheter from accidentally being pulled out of the bladder, but there is nothing restricting the catheter from moving further into the bladder. Because of the extra length of tubing loop between the connection point on the leg and the catheter balloon, the catheter balloon is free to move within the bladder, and will move every time the patient's leg moves. This movement causes both discomfort and irritation and, as a result, an increased risk of infection. When the catheter moves in far enough, the top of the catheter will bump against the bladder top. This is thought by many to be a cause for bladder spasms, a very painful condition. As the catheter moves back down, such as when the leg is stretched sideways, the tubing will pull out the catheter until the balloon rests on the bottom of the bladder. The pulling in and pushing out, or pistoning, of the catheter, causes irritation of the urethra, but more significantly, increases the risk of catheter associated urinary tract infections.
Current state of the art for urinary catheter securement is a device, which can secure the catheter directly to the thigh, but can be shown to be self defeating. In this case, the catheter itself is fastened to the thigh thus guaranteeing that the catheter will piston in and out with every leg movement. If placed improperly, severe bladder damage may result.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, each year, 30,000,000 urinary catheters are inserted into over 5 million patients in acute care hospitals and extended care facilities in the U.S. alone. Up to 25% of these patients, over one million per year, develop catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), when requiring catheterization for at least 7 days; the daily risk is 5%. CAUTI is the most common nosocomial infection, and the second most common cause of nosocomial blood stream infection. Studies suggest that patients who have developed CAUTI have an increased institutional death rate, unrelated to the development of urosepsis. As the population grows in size and in age, and the average life expectancy rate increases, each year more and more people will require catheterization. This along with the unwillingness, of a growing number of health insurance companies, to pay hospitals for nosocomial infection treatment, creates an urgent need for a solution.